The passionate artistry of Andrew Holloway

When you hear the stories behind his metalwork and jewelry creations, you quickly realize the passion of the man towards his art.

And you're left wanting to hear more.

Andrew Holloway is truly gifted. His passion for his artistry is evident, as is his respect and pride in his Stoney Nakoda heritage. His original creations are enchanting.

A sample of Holloway's jewelry is now on display and available for purchase at the Cochrane Visitor Centre. It's part of a two-pronged initiative to give a brief account of the McDougall Stoney Mission while shining a light on the artists of the Stoney Nakoda Nation.

Holloway is in his sixth year at the Alberta University of the Arts. His roots are in painting but a course in jewelry design awoke a desire to take a new direction. For the last four years, he has been studying jewelry and metalwork. He will be receiving his degree this spring.

Holloway comes from a family of crafters.

"Growing up, I learned a lot of traditional crafting technics. Now I'm working with metal and combining the traditional ways with new modern approaches to jewelry fabrication."

He believes his background as a painter has heavily influenced how he incorporates traditional colours into his metalwork.

He also includes traditional elements in his jewelry. For example. some of his work on display at the information centre incorporate porcupine quills. They were long used by First Nations before settlers arrived with beads.

It's not unusual for Holloway to spend 12-hour days at the university working on his many projects, even during school breaks. The perfectionist he is, some of his special projects have been in development for well over a year.

He appreciates the opportunity to show some of his work at the Information Centre.

"It's an honour to have my pieces here so people can enjoy the beauty of my creation. Each piece is a labour of love."

His work has been displayed elsewhere, including the Calgary Stampede.

Other Stoney Nakoda artists will be featured at the Cochrane Visitor Centre in the future, says Suzanne Goyetche, Cochrane visitor services representative.